As a new Facility Manager, you have many job responsibilities — some of which might come more naturally to you than others. Don’t worry: you can cultivate the skills and attitudes that you need to be successful in your new role with the following tips regarding what you should do within your first 90 days on the job.

1. Cultivate Foundational Knowledge

As a Facility manager, you probably won’t have to know how to build your company’s products from the ground up, but it helps to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of what is involved. At the very least you should know the terminology that is used within your particular industry as well as the basics of the production and manufacturing process. You can find great resources for this here.

2. Build Workable Relationships

The employees who work for you are the backbone of your facility. They spend the majority of their time at work and away from their own homes. Take the time to get to know them by name. Rather than taking on the role of a bureaucrat who is aloof and unapproachable. Strive to connect with each worker and allow your personality to come through. Learn to build rapport with people you work with and it’ll build a positive work culture that has a lasting effect on both the success of the company and its longevity.

3. Never Stop Learning

Approach your new facility manager job with the attitude that there will always be something that you can learn about it. Staying current with the trends that are sweeping the industry is vital to increasing production. Be knowledgeable about the tools and resources that are in use by your company’s competition. Learn whether that are items that should be adopted in order to make your company stronger. Another tip is following industry experts online, like this.

4. Make Preparedness and Security Top Priority

As a facility manager, you are the person responsible for keeping the business safe and secure. This means that disaster preparedness and emergency plans need to be ironed out and tested thoroughly prior to being introduced to your workers. Having mandatory drills helps provide employees with the skills and knowledge they need to tackle these tricky subjects of modern life.

5. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Sustainability is more than just a trend for the tree huggers of the world. Incorporating this element into your action plans helps streamline production while saving money on utilities and other expenses. Whether this means gathering information in order to make an informed decision about a new business practice or looking for ways to integrate sustainability into your current process, as the facility manager, you’ll be leading this effort.

6. Tap Into the Right Tools

Tools that harness technology are designed to boost production and streamline processes — but only if you choose the right ones. Tapping into project management software, for example, helps ensure that everyone on a given team is always on the same page. The right computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) combines robust collaboration features with notifications and alerts in real-time to slash downtime and ensures that productivity stays high and accurate.

Put these six elements into place within your first 90 days as a new facility manager and you’ll be well on your way to being successful in your career.

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If you’d like to know how UpKeep’s CMMS solution can increase efficiency at your facility, contact sales for a live 1-on-1 demo.

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